Methods and Devices for Clothing Detection about a Wearable Electronic Device

• US 20130119255A1
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dickinson, Timothy, Alameh, Rachid M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,541,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/340
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R

Abstract

A method in a wearable electronic device of detecting clothing includes: detecting whether the wearable electronic device is coupled to a user, determining whether the wearable electronic device is covered, and adjusting one or more device settings of the wearable electronic device. A secondary check can perform an additional determination of whether the wearable electronic device is covered with clothing. One or more sensors, such as a skin sensor, a tension sensor, an infrared sensor, or microphones, can be used to execute the steps in the wearable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method in a wearable electronic device of detecting clothing, comprising:

detecting, with at least a first sensor, whether the wearable electronic device is coupled to a wearer;

determining, with at least a second sensor, whether the wearable electronic device is covered;

in response to the determining, performing an additional determination, with at least a third sensor, of whether the wearable electronic device is covered with clothing; and

wherein when the additional determination is positive, adjusting one or more device settings of the wearable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the additional determination is negative, adjusting another of the one or more device settings of the wearable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting with a tension sensor, a pressure sensor, or combination thereof, whether a strap of the wearable electronic device is applying a tension force to the wearable electronic device in excess of a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises sensing with one of an infrared sensor, an imager, or combinations thereof that an object is covering the wearable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the performing the additional determination comprises actuating one or more microphones to detect a noise profile corresponding to a clothing object covering the wearable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

sensing, with the at least the second sensor, an object covering the wearable electronic device;

wherein the performing the additional determination comprises;

setting a timer; and

allowing the timer to expire.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the additional determination comprises:

accessing contemporary contextual data of the wearable electronic device;

accessing expected contextual data based upon one or more of time, temperature, date, environment, about the wearable electronic device, weather within a predetermined vicinity of the wearable electronic device, motion of the wearable electronic device, illumination of the wearable electronic device, location of the wearable electronic device, operational mode of the wearable electronic device, or combinations thereof; and

comparing the contemporary contextual data with the expected contextual data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the additional determination comprises determining whether an object covering the wearable electronic device is electrically conductive.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting occurs only where the wearable electronic device is fully covered.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises changing an output notification of one or more loudspeakers of the wearable electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises actuating a vibration mode of the wearable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises wirelessly delivering audio, video, or combinations thereof to another electronic device disposed within a near-field communication radius of the wearable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises transmitting one or more notification messages.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting one or more of a pitch, tone, spectral content, pattern, volume, timbre, or combinations thereof of alert tones emitted by the wearable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises entering a power saving operational mode.

16. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a control circuit disposed within the wearable electronic device;

a plurality of sensors operable with the control circuit; and

a clothing detection module, operable with the control circuit and the plurality of sensors, and configured to detect whether clothing is covering the wearable electronic device when the wearable electronic device is being worn by a wearer.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the clothing detection module is configured to:

detecting whether the wearable electronic device is coupled to the wearer;

determining whether the wearable electronic device is covered; and

in response to the determining, confirming that the wearable electronic device is covered with clothing;

wherein the wearable electronic device further comprises an adjustment module configured to adjust one or more device settings of the wearable electronic device.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least:

a sensor configured to determine when the wearable electronic device is proximately located with the wearer, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a galvanic skin sensor, a moisture sensor, a biometric sensor, or an electrical conductivity sensor;

a tension sensor configured to determine whether a strap of the wearable electronic device has a tension force applied in excess of a predetermined threshold;

an infrared sensor configured to determine when the wearable electronic device is covered; and

one or more microphones configured to detect an audio signature corresponding to a clothing object covering the wearable electronic device.

19. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust one or more device output settings of the wearable electronic device in response to the clothing detection module detecting whether the clothing is covering the wearable electronic device when the wearable electronic device is being worn by the wearer.

20. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the clothing detection module is configured to determine whether the wearable electronic device is covered by an object with at least a first sensor, and to perform a secondary check to obtain a positive indication that the object is the clothing with at least a second sensor, wherein the at least the first sensor and the at least the second sensor are different.